An OSHA visit can be a tense and uncomfortable time for safety officers and organizational leaders. And as
we have seen in the COVID world, OSHA does not appear to be backing off, despite these challenging
times.
We are frequently asked “what should I do if OSHA shows up. Below are some simple steps that we
recommend you follow:
1. Inspect their credentials
Every Compliance Safety & Health Officer (C-SHO) will have a photo ID that will confirms they are from the USDOL – OSHA. We do this for several reasons:
- a. On first impression, the C-SHO realizes that you have been trained for their visit and know what you are doing
- b. It is your first step in showing safety preparedness
- c. It is a strong security measure, as is shows that you check the credentials of everyone who comes into your building.
2. Obtain their information
- a. Ask for a business card. Every C-SHO has one. If they “forgot them”, ask their name, what regional office they are from, and the office phone number.
- b. Politely ask them to have a seat in the lobby and call that regional office to confirm the legitimacy of the visit.
3. Ask the reason for the visit
Much like a police officer, they have to have a cause or reason for the visit. They cannot just
make random visits. Common reasons will be:
- a. Investigation of a reported illness, accident, or fatality
- b. They saw a hazard as they were driving by
- c. Enforcement of a National Emphasis Program (NEP) or a Local Emphasis Program(LEP)
- d. Statistics based visit (used in high risk industries), based on annual 300 log recordings)
4. Call Sorensen, Wilder & Associates
- a. Our staff includes both former OSHA C-SHO’s and board-certified safety professionals. We have worked with clients across the nation in OSHA preparedness and response, and we know how to handle the visit, as well as the follow-up activity that will result, including negotiating any financial penalties and management of any remediation timelines that are imposed.
- b. Call us at 815-933-5977 or 800-568-2931 (24-hour hotline) and ask for Steve or Jocko.